Rack for supporting lasts during the manufacture of boots and shoes



. A. FREEMAN RACK FOR SUPPO April 5, W9. RTING LASTS DURING THE MANUFACTURE OF BOOTS AND SHOES Filed Dec. 26, 1947 FIGS.

Inventor 61, FflEO fezflmm- Patented Apr. 5, 1949 RACKFOR SUPPORTING LASTS DURING THE IMANUFACTURE OF BOOTS AND SHOES Alfred Freeman, Wellingborough, England Application December 26, 1947,. Serial No. 7 93,768 In Great Britain December 31, 1946 4 Claims. 1

This invention appertains to racksof the class employed for supporting boot or shoe lasts at any appropriate stage or stages in the manufacture of articles of footwear.

As is well known to those skilled in the art concerned, the heel part of a boot or shoe last is formed with a socket adapted for reception of a last-supporting, i. e. jack, pin or the equivalent such as is customarily provided on machines for performing lasting, nailing, heel attaching, sole levelling and analogous operations in the manufacture of footwear.

The present invention has reference to last racks of the kind furnished with upstanding pins adapted for engagement in the aforesaid sockets in boot or shoe lasts. With a rack of this kind the lasts, in their normal inverted position of use, are simply placed upon the upstanding pins and thereby supported at required times.

A rack of the kind referred to as heretofore constructed has usually included a rail in which the upstanding pins are fitted, the portion of the said rail adjoining each pin being recessed to receive the downwardly tapered heel part of a last. Such a construction is not, however, satisfactory for the reason that the last, being supported both in front of and behind, the upstanding pin, tends to be unstable and as a consequence is easily misplaced or even knocked right off the pin-especially in the event of the rack being inadvertently jolted.

The object of the present invention is to obviate the disadvantages of prior constructions by the provision, in or for a last rack of the kind referred to, of last supporting elements of generally improved form as will be hereinafter described.

The improved element constituting this invention comprises a pin adapted to be fitted in an upright position in a rail or other support of a rack, and, associated with and spaced rearwardly from the said pin, a support for the heel part of a last.

The upstanding pin is, of course, adapted for engagement in the customary socket of a last, and the associated support is adapted to engage the opposite sides of the underside of the heel part of the last, that is to say the bottom rear corner of the last (regarding the latter in its normally inverted position of use), suchwise as to prevent lateral movement of the heel part. In this way the last is prevented from turning angularly about the pin.

The essential distinguishing feature of the invention is that the improved element provides no support for the last in front of the pin, as a consequence of which the weight of the forepart of the lastis effective to cause binding of the last on the pin. Otherwise expressed, whilst the rear support associated with the pin effectively prevents turning movement of the last, about the pin the weight of the forepart of the last tilts the latter forwards to the extent of causing appropriate points on the front and rear walls of the socket to bind on corresponding points on the pin. The arrangement is therefore a stable one, and the binding action makes the last secure. In this connection if the lastsupporting means are jolted, then this only serves to increase the binding action, thereby effectively guarding against misplacement of the last.

In order that the invention may be more clearly understood and readily carried into practical effect, a particular illustrative embodiment thereof will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing, wherein Figure 1 is a general perspective view of the improved last supporting element,

Figures 2, 3 and 4 are front, side and plan views respectively of the same,

Figure 5 is a part-sectional side view of a shoe last shown supported upon such an element, and

Figure 6 is a rear view of the supported last, i. e. as seen in the direction of the arrow A in Figure 5.

Like parts are designated by similar reference characters throughout the drawing.

Referring to Figures 1-4, it will be seen that the element comprises an upright pin I and an associated V-shaped rear support 2 for the heel part of a last. The pin l is fashioned from a length of 1%" diameter steel rod measuring approximately 3" in length. At its upper end the said pin is bevelled at the front, as indicated at 3 and is therefore of somewhat pointed form. Approximately midway between its ends the pin has welded or otherwise suitably secured thereto a rearwardly extending short 'length of steel rod 4, e. g. of the same diameter as the pin. This length measures and extends at right angles to the pin. l. The support 2 is fashioned from a length of steel rod of somewhat less diameter and is welded or otherwise secured to the rear end of the short length of steel rod 4. The limbs 2 of the V-shaped support 2 each measure approximately 1 long and at their upper ends the said limbs are spaced apart to the extent of, say, 1%". The foregoing dimensions are, however, given merely by way of example, and may be varied according to requirements.

In fitting an element of the form described to a rail or like support of a rack the said support is drilled to receive the lower portion of the pin, i. e. the portion thereof below the short length of steel rod 4. If, as may be, a plurality of the elements are fitted in holes in a tubular steel rail, such as that indicated at 5 in Figures 5 and 6, then they may be secured in position by riveting or by welding. Alternatively, the pins I may be screw-threadedfor screwing into tapped holes in the rail or like support.

In Figure 5, a last 6 is shown in position on a last supporting element of the specific form described. As will be seen, the pin I is engaged in the metal socket 1 provided in the heel part 8 of the last, while the opposite sides of the bottom corner of the said heel part are in point contact with the opposed inner sides of the relatively inclined limbs 2 of the support 2. The weight of the forepart of the last, effective in the direction, and at the location, indicated by the arrow B, results in the last tilting forwards to the extent of causing a point 9 at the lower extremity of the front wall of the socket I and also a point on the back wall of the said socket to bind upon the pin l. Contact of the limbs 2 with the sides of the heel part 8 not only effectively prevents lateral and turning movement of the last, but also afiords the latter support to hold it up in the direction of the arrow C and thereby make certain the binding action. The pin 1 and the rear support 2 are so proportioned that the upper extremity of the pin is clear of the bottom or inner end of the socket I, so permitting the latter freedom to tilt forwards. Moreover, the element is proportioned so that when a last is applied, as shown in Figure 5, a space S will be left between the underside of the inverted last and the top of the horizontally disposed portion of steel rod 4. It will be noted that the last is supported solely on and at the rear of the pin I, the element providing no support whatever for the last in front of the pin. Hence, the more the last is jolted, the more it tends to bed down upon the pin with a consequent and commensurate increase of the binding action. It is, moreover, impossible to lift the last ofi the pin by pressure applied upwardly to the underside of the forepart. Hence, the last is positively secured against inadvertent misplacement.

' As regards a rack this may conveniently comprise a tubular steel frame furnished with castors and fitted with baskets or like receptacles for completed articles of footwear, or/and footwear components, the said framebeing surmounted by a longitudinal tubular rail in which a series of the last-supporting of the improved form hereinbefore described elements are secured.

What I claim then is:

1. An element for the support of a last having therein a socket, comprising a pin adapted to be fitted in an upright position for engagement in the socket of a last and, associated with and spaced rearwardly from the said pin, a support having downwardly convergent limbs adapted to make point contact with the opposite sides of the heel part of the said last.

2. An element for the support of a last having therein a socket, comprising a pin adapted to be fitted in an upright position for engagement in the socket of a last and, associated with and spaced rearwardly from the said .pin, a rear support of V form having straight sides adapted to make point contact with the opposite sides of the heel part of the said last.

3. For fitting upon a rail on a last rack, an element for the support of a last having a socket therein, comprising a pin made from a length of metal rod and adapted to be fitted in an upright position in the said rail for engagement in the socket of a last, a V-shaped support also fashioned from a length of metal rod and adapted for engagement with opposite sides of the rear of the heel part of the said last, and a short, horizontally disposed length of metal rod which extends rearwardly from the pin and serves to connect the latter with the support.

4. An elementfor the support of a last having therein a socket, comprising a pin adapted to be fitted in an upright position for engagement in the socket of a last, the upper end of the said pin being bevelled at the front and rounded off, a support having downwardly convergent limbs adapted to make point contact with the opposite sides of the heel part of the said last suchwise as to prevent turning movement thereof about the pin, and a horizontally disposed member which projects rearwardly from the said pin and serves to connect the latter to the support, the formation of the element being such that under the weight of its forepart a supported last is free to tilt forwards to the extent of causing points on the front and rear walls of the aforesaid socket to bind on opposing points of the pin.

ALFRED FREEMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,450,948 Glidden Apr. 10, 1923 1,737,719 Hipperson et al Dec. 3, 1929 1,962,970 Ple et a1. June 12, 1934 

